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It is quite possible that the first time a Chartres labyrinth was walked in Houston was in February 1996, when Brigid’s Place www.brigidsplace.org invited Lauren Artress to present an overnight labyrinth retreat in Christ Church Cathedral. Soon after this event, Christ Church member Gloria Whelan gathered a small, ecumenical group to consider building a portable, canvas labyrinth for local use, and this is how the Community of the Labyrinth began. Those attending the first meetings were Rev. Betty Adam, Rev. Helen Appleberg, Jennifer Elkins, Sr. Lois Dideon, Patty Turney and Gloria Whelan, foremothers of the Community of the Labyrinth and first guardians of the labyrinth they were about to build. Building the Labyrinth First the group purchased a Labyrinth Seed Kit from Veriditas, the world-wide labyrinth project. This contained instructions for drawing and painting a portable, canvas labyrinth. An awning maker was hired to cut raw canvas into three big rectangles, which fastened at the seams with velcro. This was brought to a large warehouse which was loaned for the labyrinth project. Here the group and many friends spent two weeks ironing the canvas circle so that it would lie flat enough to be painted. The pattern was drawn using a pencil and string, then the outline was taped and the design painted. During this time, conditions in the warehouse were difficult. It was October, still hot in Houston, and there was no air conditioning. Several rains threatened the labyrinth through leaks in the building, but enthusiasm for the project never waned. At the end, a professional drapery maker brought her heavy duty sewing machine to finish the edges of the circle. In November, the labyrinth was ready for its first outing, which was at Mo Ranch with Carol La Bonte as facilitator. Opening the Circle The Community of the Labyrinth began to introduce the labyrinth locally by renting it with a trained facilitator to local churches, temples, schools, hospitals and other communities. In the early years, the labyrinth was open for walking, with an introductory talk, every Wednesday evening at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, where it was stored. The labyrinth is currently stored at St. Phillip’s Presbyterian Church in the Galleria area, where any group who wishes to rent it may call to make arrangements. Labyrinth Rental Information. As an increasing number of pilgrims took to the sacred path, many groups began to establish labyrinth programs of their own, often buying or building their own labyrinth. The Community of the Labyrinth helped seed these new labyrinths through donations to their building funds and many consultations. Widening the Path In August 2000, the Community of the Labyrinth established the Houston Labyrinth Network, a program designed to create connections among the growing labyrinth communities. The Network sponsors semi-annual meetings, and each takes place at a different, local labyrinth site. Participants hear the story of the host labyrinth community and walk the labyrinth together, a featured speaker presents some aspect of labyrinth work, and all network around a resource sharing table and over lunch. Next Meeting. The Labyrinth Newsletter, with a mailing list of 500, supported the Community of the Labyrinth’s mission for a time and, recently, has been superceded by the current Houston Labyrinth Network website, which now handles all communications. Membership in the Houston Labyrinth Network is open to all (Join: Individuals), and membership in COL, to replace a member who is no longer available to serve, is by invitation.. A list of the current guardians of the labyrinth can be found in the C.O.L. Brochure. |
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